The Pirate King Chronicles: Book 1 Trapped
by PyromaniacBlackWings
Summary: Gol. D Roger and Whitebeard were on the same crew with their beloved captain, however they were soon parted. Roger wanted revenge and Whitebeard wanted to be great. Now they meet again SPOILERS FOR CURRENT MANGA CHAPTERS. SLASH/YAOI. TatsuoxAce
1. Chapter 1

The tower was beautiful, so high the air was freezing and the ice helped the precious stones, that were glittering as the faint light of the moon hit the stones at the right angle, look even more beautiful. Far below the tower, the waves rolled forwards a if in slow motion, thick and oily. There were rocks slanting outwards, each one as sharp as a razor. The waves hovered for a moment, the white atop them threw itself forwards, the rest of the water following as the sharp rocks tore it apart. The wind howled an eerie tone, the entire expanse of the area looking surreal. There was a storm raging, jagged spears of blue-white lightning tore through the centre of the maelstrom which was whipping up the sea. Inside the shadowed doorway of the castle, a figure was leaning against the wall, seastone cuffs and chains clinking with every movement he made. He was cold, anybody could tell that by the blue tinge to his lips.

He stood slowly, long dark hair shifting as he walked, revealing streaks of a deep midnight blue and silver, his eyes were beautiful, like precious jewels, one was the same midnight blue of his eyes and it lacked a pupil save a half-moon shape of silver which acted as a pupil, the other eye was opposite, a shining silver with a midnight blue half-moon pupil. The prisoner looked up at the sky before his strange eyes drifted downward to the storm, watching the sea thrash restlessly. As his hair moved, a strange tattoo was revealed, crawling up his face, it reflected the moonlight and was shaped much like the sea. He lifted his head and turned as the cell door opened. The entire cell, except the floor, was thick with seastone, even the door was laced with it. His eyes caught the laughing black ones of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, behind him his three Admiral's followed him. Even in a cell laden with seastone, he didn't feel too safe around the strange man.

Chains clinked as the strange man turned, his hair seemed to glow silver in the moonlight and he seemed unafraid of the powerful people in front of him. "Sengoku, to what do I owe the honour?" The voice came from the prisoner, his deep, musical voice was mocking as he stepped closer, aware of the tensing of the admirals.

"Tatsuo, I need your assistance with a matter. No doubt you are aware of the Ace incident by now?" Sengoku replied, the stuffed seagull on his head wobbling as he paced, his long beard swinging with the agitated movements. Tatsuo turned back towards the beautiful view. He listened to Sengoku with calm indifference. "I have no doubts that Whitebeard will attack and I doubt I will be able to repel him on my own. I will allow you one day out of this prison if you do this for me. The time it takes to journey to wherever you wish to go isn't included in the time you get free."

"Sengoku." Tatsuo said softly. "When is Ace's execution?"

Kizaru answered for the agitated man, who had halted in his pacing. "7 hours. We can get you to Marineford, via the gates of justice, in 3 hours."

"I will do it. If you let me go to the place they were buried." This was directed at Sengoku, who's expression softened to pity as he nodded.

"Of course." Sengoku's voice was uncharacteristically soft as he gazed at the prisoner. The Fleet Admiral cleared his throat and turned to the three admirals. "Take his chains from the wall but don't let go of them."

The admirals all went to one chain and pulled it from the wall with ease, the chains also weakened the strength of Devil Fruit users, so Tatsuo couldn't have hoped to pull the chains from the wall. Sengoku and his group moved quickly, talking rapidly as they tried to come up with a plan. Unlike everyone else, Tatsuo moved quietly, his hands cuffed behind him as they went quickly through the seastone thick corridors of the tower. He came to the entrance and the heavy steel door opened with a groan, moonlight filtering in through the widening gaps. Sengoku went to a marine ship and boarded it with ease, his heavy boots making the planks of wood that made a stairway groan in protest.

Tatsuo was lead up carefully, soldiers surrounding him with guns pointed in his direction. Sengoku pointed to the front of the ship and The three admirals all sat down on lounging chains, each chain curled loosely in their fists. Tatsuo was sat on the floor, he didn't mind much though. He felt a blanket draped around his shoulders and glanced up at the soldier. He was young and inexperienced but he had a sorrowful expression on his face. Tatsuo nodded in thanks, drawing the blanket around his shoulders as he closed his eyes. By his watch it was around 5 am. The sun should be coming up soon which meant the execution would take place at noon. He could afford to sleep for a while, he supposed. Tatsuo then slid into the realm of dreams, never moving from his position on the floor.

The cool press of a gun at his back had him awake, his chains rattling as his body jerked. The boat had docked and the admirals were all standing, looking bored as he held the chains. Sengoku glanced at them and they pulled the chains, forcing him to stand. Tatsuo stood and walked next to Sengoku. His eyes scanned the grounds. It was full of Marines and high ranking people on the Marine's side. Like a living thing, the entire crowd separated as Sengoku walked towards the gates.

"Oh god, they even brought out Tatsuo." The soft whisper was from Hancock, who had her thin hand pressed against her mouth in shock. Tatsuo turned his head towards her, his mismatched eyes piercing her soul with ease. Hancock tensed, her eyes fixed on him, he studied her for a while until Sengoku turned around to speak.

"Tatsuo, you will be helping me guard Ace." Sengoku said quietly. "Kizaru, Aokiji and Akainu, you may go to your seats. Men, unbuckle him." Three soldiers scurried to do his bidding, unbuckling the chains from his body and undoing the seastone cuffs. Sengoku pulled out a thin collar which he clipped around Tatsuo's throat. The seastone gleamed as the sun caught it. "This is a remote controlled device which will allow us to stop you at any time. You may be physically unbound but will still have your chains in our grips."

"Ruthless as ever, Sengoku." Tatsuo said softly, rolling his shoulders as he followed the Fleet Admiral. "One day, I will free myself. As I'm sure you're aware, when I am free. I'll destroy you and your precious marines." Tatsuo had lost his temper, it was apparent. The sea churned and thrashed while clouds drifted over the sun.

"Keep dreaming, Tatsuo." Sengoku laughed, raising a small remote as he stalked towards the entrance. Tatsuo followed him, his expression smoothing out as the sea slowly followed him, the clouds dissipating from the sky. Tatsuo slid through the open gap of the entrance and, at Sengoku's direction, went up to the execution platform. He climbed up the emergency ladder and sat lightly on the edge of the platform, not turning as the doors creaked open and everyone turned to see the prisoner. Tatsuo only looked out at the blue sky, his odd eyes taking in the whole area with a hungry glint.

After being a prisoner for 10 years, Tatsuo hadn't stepped outside once since then. He only turned when he heard Sengoku speak, his eyes catching the curious dark ones of Portgas D. Ace who was looking at him with undisguised wonder. Sengoku laughed softly.

"Men, I have something crucial to tell you all. Something about the true meaning of Portgas D. Ace meet his end here today!" Everyone looked up in curiosity and near to the platform, Garp laughed his booming laugh, clutching his stomach. Next to him, an old woman, Tsuru, was scowling, her wrinkled face twisted in a tight scowl.

"The sin rests not with you.." she murmured quietly, even as Garp laughed deeply.

"Bwahahahah! You can get awful kind sometimes, can't you, ol' Tsuru!" Garp laughed, his face crinkled in a large grin.

Sengoku continued on, holding a snail in his palm as he spoke, allowing everyone to see him. "Ace." Ace lifted his head, dark eyes flitting away from Tatsuo and toward Sengoku. "Tell me the name of your father!" Sengoku boomed. Ace's expression darkened dramatically, he was covered in blood and wounds which made him seem very dangerous all of a sudden. He lowered his head slightly, looking at the platform as he spoke.

"My father?" Ace said, mildly shocked. "Huh. At a time like this. Alright then, my father.. Is Whitebeard!!" Ace roared, his dark hair sifting in the breeze.

Sengoku looked angry as he roared. "He is not!!"

Ace didn't move much, only shifting his shoulders as he attempted to lunge, only the chains and his weakness stopping him. "YES HE IS!! Whitebeard is my only father! I have no other!!" Ace hissed, his expression tight with pain. Tatsuo stood quietly and went to stand next to Ace, watching the proceedings with curiosity. Tatsuo's head snapped up, tilting his ear upward he listened carefully. Sengoku was too caught up in his story to notice.

"Back then, we searched as though our lives depended on it, searching for the possibility that there existed on that island a child of that man. Based on nothing but the tiniest of leads from cipher pol, we investigated all newborn children, all children who were yet to be born and all of their mothers, but ultimately we found nothing." Sengoku said, drawn into his memories. "Or so we thought. But out of pure obstinacy, your mother had risked her like to perform a certain trick with regard to your birth!" Sengoku had the attention of everyone in the audience. They were curious as to where this was going. "It was a trick that deceived our eyes. In the south blue, there lies an island by the name of Baterilla. Your mother's name was Portgas D. Rouge!" Sengoku announced as Ace tensed.

Sengoku laughed softly, his hand lightly touching the coat at his feet. "She performed a fear that we could have never hoped to imagine and out of devotion to her child, bore him in her womb for a full twenty months!" Tatsuo's head snapped to Sengoku, his eyes wide. Twenty months, that would have killed her. Nine months was the normal limit for births but twenty months was over double that. "And when the birth finally came, her strength all but spent, she left this world as your entered it."

Tatsuo spied a fine trembling to Ace's figure, his eyes clouded and unfocused. "One year and three months from the father's death, a child was born bearing the most accursed blood to be found in this world. That child is you." Ace's teeth were set and he looked about to cry, the only thing holding him together was his lightly curling fists.

"Sengoku. That's enough." Tatsuo said softly, his strange eyes watching Ace. Ace's head lifted slowly and he smiled in thanks, even though Sengoku continued.

"Don't make me retract your offer of a day of freedom, after all, you could loose your chance to visit their graves." Sengoku murmured. "I'll put you right back where I found you and leave you to rot in that tower until the day you die." Tatsuo fell silent, cowed, though he was furious and the sea was testament to that, it began to thrash heavily. Sengoku carried on. "Do not claim you are not aware! You father is none other than the pirate king, Gol D. Roger!"

Silence rang from hill to hill, shocked face staring at Ace's death place in pure shock. Below the platform, Garp was lost in memories of Gol D. Roger. As they got their wits back, the crowd shouted together. "Fire fist Ace, is Gol D. Roger's son?!"

Hancock murmured lightly to herself. "So he wasn't Luffy's brother after all..?" Tatsuo's head turned. Luffy. The kid who declared war on the world government and the kid currently heading towards Ace after being the fist person to break in to Impel Down successfully and exit again. So Hancock isn't as faithful as she seems, he wouldn't expect anything less from a woman of her calibre.

Moria laughed loudly. "His own son still lives on still?! Truly a miracle." He laughed. "Surely every last person connected to Roger was supposed to have been rounded up back then."

Doflamingo smiled his odd smile and murmured to himself. "Oho."

Next to Garp, Sergeant Major Coby and Helmeppo looked up, startled. Coby stuttered as he spoke, what he said catching Tatsuo's ear. "S-since he's Luffy's brother, I always thought his father must have been dragon as well."

"That name again. This is bound to get interesting." Tatsuo murmured to himself as Helmeppo spoke.

"I thought the same thing!! What's going on here?!! Are they not really brother's after all?!!" Helmeppo said softly.

Sengoku began to speak again. "Two years ago, it was, choosing to take your mother's name, you had risen with frightening speed and remarkable power to notability as the captain of the spade pirates. It was then that we finally realised that Roger's blood still lived on!!" Sengoku roared again. "But Whitebeard, who came to the same realisation, just as we did, chose to take in the son of his old rival onto his own ship that he might raise him to be the next pirate king!!!"

Ace looked completely furious as he snarled. "NO!! I joined his crew so that I could make _him the pirate king!"_

_Sengoku cut across Ace's furious snarl. "You are the only one who believes that. We were unable to lay a finger on you from that moment forth. YOU WERE BEING PROTECTED BY WHITEBEARD HIMSELF!!!!" Ace looked utterly shocked as Sengoku spoke. "And if we were to allow you to roam free for long enough, you would be sure, slowly but surely, to obtain the necessary calibre to stand at the summit of a new era of piracy!!!" Sengoku's voice rose to a new level. "THAT IS WHY IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT WE TAKE YOUR HEAD HERE TODAY!!! Ever if that means going to war with Whitebeard himself!"_

_The entire crowd of marines all roared in approval, fists and swords raised as they heard the words, new courage filled their hearts and they all stood a little taller for it. The courage faltered as a message boomed across the speakers from the guard._

"_The Gates of Justice are opening of their own accord!!! Even though they said they wouldn't open them, no matter what. The control room should be located in Marineford itself!! Who could possibly be..?!" The guard's voice went silent as chaos erupted._

"_They're here!!!! All hands, prepare for battle!!!!" Sengoku roared. He then looked mildly fearful. "They suddenly appeared! But from where?!"_

_Tatsuo lifted his head and glanced towards a Marine with three swords. He called down to him. "Hey, you! Yes you! Throw me one of your swords." The Marine hesitated before doing so and Tatsuo caught it with ease._

_The guards voice rang out again. "It's a huge fleet of pirate ships!! Where is whitebeard?! We need confirmation!!!" The guard said, he went on to call out all of the names of the people he recognized. Ace leant forward, his expression light and nearly smiling. _

"_All of you..!!!" Ace murmured. Tatsuo, though he was forced to fight for the marine's, smiled for the man he'd come to like in the short amount of time he'd known him. The water bubbled and Whitebeard slowly emerged. Everyone's attention was diverted and Tatsuo lifted the sword, his eyes flitting to the guards. They glowed and the guards necks broke in silence as they slid to the ground. Ace blinked in shock and looked at the sad eyed prisoner._

"_Portgas D. Ace, I owe your father and Whitebeard a debt from a long time ago. While I am trapped, I won't let my friends legacy be as well. Promise me you'll live, after all, your brother is on his way to you. Don't let him down, Ace." Tatsuo smiled once and with a broad kick, booted the Fleet Admiral off of the platform. Tatsuo then helped Ace up an struck downwards, hitting the chains with the sword. The sword glowed silver and rust spread outward from the striking point until the metal chains had disappeared. Ace looked at him in shocked awe but he was as yet to weak to do much other than stay on his feet._

"_Why are you..?" Ace murmured. "They'll kill you, or worse, they'll lock you away for as long as you live."_

_Tatsuo laughed, ignoring the shocked looks from those around him. He put Ace onto his back and leapt with all his strength into the crowd of Marine's. Landing lightly as the Marine's circled him uncertainly. His eyes glowed and they all stopped moving, blood poured out of their very pores and like a plague, the people around him fell. He cleared a path and took off at a run, keeping one arm to steady Ace as he raced across the bloody trail. Tatsuo held on with all his strength to Ace, stopping suddenly as the three admirals landed in front of him, looking dangerous. _

"_Ace, listen to me. If I clear a path for you, can you make it to the harbour?" Tatsuo murmured quietly to Ace. The tired prisoner nodded slightly and Tatsuo set him down, his eyes closing as he spread his arms wide before throwing them forwards. The admirals leapt aside and Tatsuo's entire body glowed. His arm's caused another wave of death as the Marine's fell and everyone else was held in place. "Go Ace, please. I cannot hold them forever." Ace set off at a run, a weary lope that was slow but at least he was trying. Tatsuo shuddered lightly, falling on one knee as he gasped, sweat dripped from his forehead. He shouted towards the bay and towards the heavens. "Roger, Whitebeard! My debt is paid!" He roared. His body falling completely as Sengoku pressed the remote. _

_On the SS. Moby Dick, Whitebeard's head snapped up, spying Ace tearing through a body made pathway. He smiled but didn't question it for now, only roaring. "COVER ACE! GET HIM OUT OF THERE." The crewmen all cheered and did exactly that as the marine's all ran at Ace. Tatsuo was lifted by his throat, coughing blood as it dripped down his chin._

_Sengoku snarled. "You will never, ever see the graves of your friends. You will never be released from that prison again." Tatsuo laughed, blood spilling from his lips again. Ace, meanwhile was about to be executed, a marine's sword poised at his throat. Whitebeard looked furious, he was running towards Ace himself, swatting Marine's away like bugs. He wouldn't get their fast enough though. Tatsuo froze the man with a last of his strength, looking at the bay with a smile._

"_I've done my bit, Sengoku. I fulfilled my promise to Roger and nothing you do can change that now. The next generation will dismantle you, if I fail. After all, in your plan, you forgot one key element." Tatsuo raised his head and laughed deeply as a voice rang out._

"_Gomu Gomu no Rocket!" Luffy came flying, landing with ease right next to the marine about to kill his brother. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER, SCUM!" Luffy snarled, punching the man so hard in the face he flew backwards. Luffy scooped up his brother as his temporary crew swarmed the place and fought the Marines. _

_Tatsuo's laughed trailed off as he coughed. "Monkey D. Luffy." Tatsuo murmured. "You forgot that brothers, even if there is no blood between them, have the closest bond in the world and nothing, absolutely nothing you can do, will stop Luffy from saving Ace. Nor will it stop fate. You are fated to fall and I won't allow you to succeed in this. Lock me up and throw away the key, I don't care. It'll be worth seeing your defeat, Fleet Admiral Sengoku." Tatsuo coughed softly again, his eyes sliding closed. "You take it from here, Monkey D. Luffy. I have to regain my strength for a while.." Tatsuo fell into unconsciousness, dangling from the grip of the snarling Fleet Admiral._

_***_

_Authors notes:_

_What did you think? =P_


	2. Chapter 2

Monkey D. Luffy as a fairly simple minded person, his mind had three basic modes, namely, eating, sleeping and fighting. However there was a part of him that helped him earn his reputation and his bounty. A truly frightening part that, when pushed, would take down any person that was in his way and damn the consequences. It was that part that caused his name to be spread around the world, from the corner of the four oceans and even in the grand line, where a certain red haired pirate was waiting for him, a broad and carefree smile on his face. But that was in the future, for now, Luffy was in that part of himself, the part which would save his brother, the part which would completely and utterly demolish any single person who tried to stop him. That was the thing about Monkey D. Luffy which the people of the world uttered in hushed whispers, as if half in awe and half petrified, the latter more likely in his enemies, who lay trembling behind him and stood strong in front of him. Each person on his path, he had defeated, everyone except Bartholomew Kuma but Luffy wasn't scared of him, Luffy wasn't scared of anything. There came a time when fear reared up, of course there did, it was that way with everyone, human instinct. But Luffy brushed away with a practised hand and slid into the depths of his very simple mind to a place which, if allowed, would flourish into the greatest pirate the world had ever known.

Again, that was later, for now, Monkey D. Luffy, stood next to his brother with a face splitting grin taking over his features as he smiled up at his beloved older brother and the one had come to save. He was a little late but, that was Luffy. Ace looked down at his brother in all but blood and chuckled deeply, a grin on his features which reminded everyone who remembered of a certain man who was killed 20 years ago, if only because he was dying anyway. Luffy turned suddenly, his ears catching his name as he focused solely on that conversation. "Monkey D. Luffy. You forget that brothers, even if there is no blood between them, have the closest bond in the world and nothing, absolutely nothing you can do will stop Luffy from saving Ace. Nor will it stop fate. You are fated to fall and I won't allow you to succeed in this. Lock me up and throw away the key, I don't care. It'll be Worthing seeing your defeat, Fleet Admiral Sengoku." There was a faint cough and the slick sound of blood. "You take it from here, Monkey D. Luffy, I have to regain my strength for a while.." Silence fell as the sentence faded, Luffy nodding silently to whomever it was. He knew he wouldn't be able to save the man, emotionally-charged though he was, a Fleet Admiral was far too strong for him.

A long way away in Sabaody Archipelago, an old man sat quietly in the bar, nursing a glass of his favourite sake, Binks', he was chuckling as he watched the TV which sat on the bar, pulled up from under the counter so they could watch the proceedings to see what was going to happen and what the fate of pirates and normal people everywhere would be. For that's what this battle was, one to decided who got the advantage in Gol. D Rogers' long standing war against the Marines. One which the man himself never intended to start, he merely started it as a kid, looking for revenge after what he thought was the death of _his _captain. That captains name was Tatsuo.

Rayleigh smiled as he leaned back and cast his mind back to a long time ago.

_Laughter echoed throughout the small bar, the occupants all laughing as two young boys fought in the middle in the floor, the first was slightly larger than was normal for his age with white hair and the other had silky black hair and a wicked grin. From the back of the room, their captain opened his eyes and chuckled softly, turning his gaze to outside the window. He froze as he noticed something off, his hand lifting as he brought a pair of gloves from his pocket, pulling the black material over his fingers, clenching them slightly. He was wearing a long black coat which fell to the backs of his knees and underneath it was a thin white shirt, he was wearing black trousers and black boots on his bottom half and strapped to his waist was a thin Japanese sword with a hilt and blade of black._

_He turned silently and walked out the door, shutting it near silently behind him. He jerked as he noticed movement and saw a small kid with black hair hiding in the shadows of a house. He went towards the kid, keeping a friendly smile on his features. Crouching he lifted the boys chin with a finger, tilting his head as the boy went slightly crimson. "Well hello there, little one." The boy bit his lip and lifted his hand, waggling his fingers in a shy hello. "My names Tatsuo, its nice to meet you…?"_

"_Rayleigh, Silvers Rayleigh." The young boy smiled hesitantly, but that smile quickly transformed into a look of horror as he noticed the gleam of a sword from a person clothed in white. Tatsuo continued smiling, even as he lifted his hand and caught the blade with two fingers, pressing his fingers to the mans chest and pulling upwards. Rayleigh's eyes gleamed as he saw the man fall, a stream of water flowing as if from nowhere._

"_It seems, Silvers Rayleigh, that I will have to teach these guys a lesson." Tatsuo stood, mussing Rayleigh's hair and walking towards the shore where a crowd of marine's waited, a confidant looking Admiral Sengoku smirking down at him. Tatsuo looked shocked for a moment, his expression morphing into one of laughter. "All this fuss, just for little old me?" He pulled his sword from its sheath and parried a blow of a marine, pushing his blade downwards and throwing the man to the side with a lazy jerk of his arm. Tatsuo ducked and weaved as the marine's all rushed him at once, he lifted both arms and spread them wide, fingers widening as he called on his power. Dimly he heard the thrashing of the sea as he curled his fists as if grasping something and then he pulled swiftly, feeling nearly all the marines fall to the ground, thin streams of water escaping from every pore._

_Tatsuo realised the trap too late and tried to turn, to catch the blade, to do anything, but Sengoku pushed it through him, the cool steel parting flesh easily and blood flowing to the cut to try and fill the gap but the blood only poured away, sliding down his skin and dying it red. He heard a scream and a cry of "Captain" from a multitude of different voices. He turned slightly, looking past Sengoku to his crew, Gol. D Roger and Edward Newgate standing at the front, their eyes worried. Tatsuo smiled one, his legs jerking as the fought to hold him up, and fell slowly, body colliding with the floor as his blood pooled around him. He felt himself being lifted up by an extremely tall person and he was taken away, a pair of seastone cuffs strapped around his wrists. Tatsuo would laugh later that Sengoku had missed the two most important people of his crew, the two boys at the front who would one day each take the world by storm._

_Rayleigh sighed and leaned back, looking to the screen as he laughed. "Tatsuo's alive then? Roger, my friend. I'm sure you would have been ecstatic, it's shame you weren't alive to see this."_

_***_

_Luffy gasped as he ran, going towards the white haired man's ship. He looked up at Ace who was nearly unconscious on his back. The seastone cuffs made him feel ill but he met Luffy's eyes anyway. Luffy didn't stop he just nodded to the white haired man and, in an astonishing display of understanding, Ace nodded weakly. Luffy gave him a reassuring smile and continued on, stretching as he grasped a bit of debris and threw himself at the ship, holding onto Ace for dear life as they flew. Luffy landed hard, gently lowering Ace from his back and looking up at someone approached him, it was Boa. _

"_Luffy." She said softly, her cheeks stained red. "It's so good to see you're okay! I was afraid you were dead, you got caught in that god forsaken prison!" Boa was near tears, looking at Luffy who was covered in blood. _

"_Sorry, Hancock." Luffy said, smiling brightly. Boa lifted her hand to her hair and pulled out a gleaming silver key, she knelt down beside Ace, noting that behind her Whitebeard tensed. She unclasped the cuffs and lifted them up, throwing them into the depths of the sea. _

"_So you're Ace then?" Boa murmured softly, tilting her head curiously as she studied him. "Maybe not in blood but Luffy thinks of you as his brother and best friend so I hope you won't blame him for coming to save you." Boa turned to Whitebeard, standing up smoothly. "You are welcome to return to my island, we have fine healers for your men and I know Luffy was planning on returning anyway. I think the brothers need some time to be just that." Whitebeard nodded and turned towards Marco, who nodded and make the call to pull back._

"_Ace." Luffy said, smiling gently as he helped his brother stand. The moment was broken as Ace punched him hard in the chin, Luffy rubbing it gently as it throbbed. "Ow! Ace, why did you do that?"_

"_Because you're a reckless idiot! Why did you break into Impel Down, you even got yourself caught! You nearly died you fool. I'm your big brother, I was worried about you." The last bit was said softly, reaching out his arm and pulling Luffy against him. "Don't you remember what I said when last we met? I'm supposed to be worried about you but it doesn't mean I like worrying." Ace sighed and shook his head, releasing his brother._

"_Sorry Ace." Luffy said, looking up at his brother with large sparkling eyes. Luffy then grinned. "How about you show them why they shouldn't mess with you?" Luffy murmured, looking at his older brother who grinned, lifting his hand. He waited until the last member of the fleet was on the boats and, with a wicked grin, allowed fire to envelope the entire area. The members of the marines all screamed as the fire scored their skin. Ace smiled at his brother and then turned to Whitebeard as the fleet make a quick escape._

"_Pops, who's Tatsuo?" Ace said, sliding down the edge of the railing to sit on the floor, rubbing his forehead lightly. Ace froze as he noticed his captain and adopted father, Whitebeard had frozen, his fists clenching as he fought against something Ace couldn't decipher. Luffy watched carefully, his face very serious for Luffy, at least. _

"_Where did you hear that name, Ace, my son?" Whitebeard said, his voice tight. "How did you hear that name?! He's long dead!"_

_Ace coughed quietly, blood coming from his mouth and sliding down his chin. "He's apparently not as dead as you thought. He was being used by the marines but he said he had a debt with you and that he owed that man and you." Ace crossed his arms and looked down sadly. "He.. Sacrificed himself to save me. He was a marine's prisoner and he was told he could go and see his friends graves but because he rebelled, Sengoku said he would be locked up for the rest of his life."_

"_Captain Tatsuo?" Whitebeard whispered shakily, his eyes looking unseeing into the depths of Marine HQ. "B-but he was stabbed, I saw him fall." Whitebeard was trembling violently now. "We have to rescue him!"_

_***_

_Authors Note:_

_I loved writing this chapter! It was reallyyy fun! =]_

_Still, here it is! The next one should be up as soon as the new chapter comes out. =] Promise. Besides, I've got my rhythm back with this story! REVIEWWWW! =]_


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